Dove huntig disaster

Took dove hunting trip to south Texas private ranch 3 years in a row great hunting limited out every time saturday afternoon game warden came in gate to check hunters I was first smiled at officer and complied with all requests perfectly legal no problems or so I thought ended up every hunter on ranch and ranch owner got a citation the fields were baited according to game wardens interpetation rest assured if I or anyone in my group thought we were doing anything even remotely illegal we would not have been there we specificaly asked ranch owner if fields were legal all is legal replied ranch owner now I am charged with hunting baited fields what is a man to do I will be out lots of cash all for a few days of relaxation and a few birds Mad MAD MAD.
Noslab
P.S. should of stuck with crappie fishing

I'd appeal it, especially if you paid to hunt. Hate to hear that.

Sorry to hear that.. I would appeal it also, if it is a paid hunt, I would think they would hold the Host responsible.. I mean, heck if you gonna hunt a baited field, then you don't have to leave state and then pay someone for it.

Appeal it! Sure sounds like a set up. You know who ever turns you in recieves a reward. The reward adds up to some real money. It is a % of the fines.

Man that sux. Seems to me that if it is a paid hunt then only the land owner should have been ticketed. I would definitely appeal it, but I believe game laws are hunter-specific. I mean, if it can be proven that the individual hunter is hunting land on which it can be proven as baited, then each hunter gets a ticket. They are really sticky about it in Tennessee, so we gotta be damn careful to get up all the corn we put out for deer and doves exactly 10 days before season.

I know you muct feel sick about all of this. You sound like an ethical guy who would not have knowingly hunted over bait and I'm sorry you got in trouble over something that was not your fault.

'baited field' one of the reasons i quit dove hunting 25 years ago, nearly every field i paid to hunt on had corn somewhere. Still would enjoy a good hunt but have no idea where to comfortably go.

A few friends and I were caught on a baited field several years ago but everyone was giving a warning except the landowner. He owned up to baiting the filed and stated that none of us knew. If someone knows it is baited then they should be ticketed. We had a great dove shoot this past Saturday on a sunflower field.

There are still people in this world with integrity Ranch owner has decided to pay all fines game warden charged all with 1 count of hunting baited field instead of charging 1 count for each bird all I really end up being out is the origional cost of the hunt and seized birds I am surprised and relieved.
Noslab P.S. caught 15 crappie today and yes I used bait.

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Originally Posted by noslab

There are still people in this world with integrity Ranch owner has decided to pay all fines game warden charged all with 1 count of hunting baited field instead of charging 1 count for each bird all I really end up being out is the origional cost of the hunt and seized birds I am surprised and relieved.
Noslab P.S. caught 15 crappie today and yes I used bait.

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That's good news.. I bet it was a big relief off of your shoulders.

cheers for the ranch owner. a real person. sorry to hear stories like this.
glad that all worked well. our goverment keeps taking more rights away every
day.when i was a boy in the 50s i don't think they had stuped rules like that.
they never had a rule that you had to pay more to fish with more than one pole. here in california , most lakes you are not allowed to use live minners.
most lakes don't allow you to fish at night.
some one with real knoledge of laws should make a list of all the rights of the citizens; that our appointed rulers, which we pay, have taken away. i hate to see what it will be like for our children. republican or democrat, they all are crooked and suck. blood suckers
one mans opnion:D

That is good news. The only thing is, it will be on your record, if that matters to you, it does to me. I would still fight it to get it off my record.

Glad the ranch owner manned up for you! I really pisses me off when game wardens seem to be out to get the guys that try to follow the law when they could be out there catchin some real poachers but i guess thats too hard of work for them!

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Originally Posted by pwbuilding

cheers for the ranch owner. a real person. sorry to hear stories like this.
glad that all worked well. our goverment keeps taking more rights away every
day.when i was a boy in the 50s i don't think they had stuped rules like that.
they never had a rule that you had to pay more to fish with more than one pole. here in california , most lakes you are not allowed to use live minners.
most lakes don't allow you to fish at night.
some one with real knoledge of laws should make a list of all the rights of the citizens; that our appointed rulers, which we pay, have taken away. i hate to see what it will be like for our children. republican or democrat, they all are crooked and suck. blood suckers
one mans opnion:D

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That is the opinion of two Men. I am sick to death of it!

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Originally Posted by talegunner

That is the opinion of two Men. I am sick to death of it!

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make that the opinion of 3 men (me):(

I had a similar thing happen to me on Eastern Shore of Maryland back in 1993. I took it to court and lost. Was actually told in court that is why I should carry a camera not a gun. I was a kid at the time and did not respond the same I would have today. Anyway, since that time a similar incident happened to Bud Grant the old coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He had enough money to fight it and the law was changed in some states. I believe that if someone takes responsibility as listed above the others get their cases thrown out. Might be worth looking in to further. Good luck

Appealing it probably won't do you any good, but it doesn't hurt to try.

Bait: Salt, grain, or other feed, directly or indirectly placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered, that could serve as a lure or attraction for migratory game birds to, on, or over any areas where hunters are attempting to take them.

Baited Area: Any area on which bait has been placed, exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered so as to serve as a lure or attraction for migratory game birds to, on, or over areas where hunters are attempting to take them. Any such area will remain a baited area for ten days following the complete removal of all bait.

The NOTE below is where they got you!

General Rules
NOTE: Hunters are responsible for knowing whether an area is baited or not.

Baiting (the following baiting rules have been established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service):

A hunter MAY hunt any migratory game bird:

-over standing crops, standing flooded crops, and flooded harvested crops

-at any time over natural vegetation that has been manipulated

-where seeds or grains have been scattered as a result of normal agricultural planting, harvesting, or post-harvest manipulation

-over crops or natural vegetation where grain has been inadvertently scattered as a result of entering or leaving the field, placing decoys, or retrieving downed birds

-using natural vegetation or crops to conceal a blind, provided that if crops are used, no grain or other feed is exposed, deposited, distributed, or scattered in the process

-except water fowl and cranes where grain or other feed has been distributed or scattered as the result of the manipulation of a crop or livestock feeding

A hunter MAY NOT:

-hunt migratory birds with the aid of bait, or on or over any baited area

-hunt over any baited area until 10 days after all baiting materials have been removed

-hunt waterfowl or cranes over manipulated planted millet, unless the millet was planted more than one year prior to hunting

-hunt waterfowl or cranes over crops that have been manipulated, unless the manipulation is a normal agricultural planting, harvesting, or post-harvest manipulation